Grilled Chicken Breasts with Sofrito

Tina Wasserman
Recipe by
Tina Wasserman

The cooks at Adath Israel (a small, vibrant Orthodox synagogue established by Polish Jews in the '20s) told me that they either bake chicken with a simple marinade or make chicken fricassee with a basic sofrito. I combined the two into one recipe.

Ingredients
1-1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Directions
  1. Remove the fillet from the underside of the chicken breasts.
  2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a glass bowl or casserole.
  3. Add the chicken breasts and fillets and marinate for 2 or more hours in the refrigerator.
  4. Grill the chicken on both sides for a total of approximately 7 minutes, until it is cooked but still moist and tender. Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sauté the chicken -- about 3 minutes per side, until it is done in the center and golden on both sides.
  5. Set the chicken aside, reserving the marinade. Keep warm until you're ready to serve with the sofrito sauce. (see Sofrito Sauce recipe)
  6. Return the sautéed chicken to the pan with the sauce to warm and serve. Alternatively, serve the grilled chicken on a platter topped with sauce.
Additional Notes
  • The fillet of the chicken breast has a white pearlized tendon running through it. To ensure even cooking of the breast, this tendon needs to be removed.